Envelope and writing sheet combination



M. DONOVAN 3,27,95Q

ENVELOPE AND WRITING SHEET COMBINATION Filed April 14, 1965 32 FIG; 10

INVENTOR.

MARION DONOVAN JOHN P. CHAN DLER H ER ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Marion Donovan, 435 E. 52nd St, New York, N31. Filed Apr. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 448,0il0 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-921) This invention relates to a simplified correspondence assembly including an envelope sheet and. a writing sheet wherein the latter, although serving an important function in the two part combination, may constitute a conventional rectangular sheet. The invention also relates to envelope blanks and to the envelopes made therefrom and relates more particularly to a novel wrapper element for correspondence wherein a rectangular writing sheet arranged in fan-fold style can receive one end, i.e., the inner end section, of the envelope blank which is then folded around the writing sheet and laterally extending gummed flaps are then sealed around a lower edge of the writing sheet which contains the name and address of the sender and which is exposed when the correspondence combination, including a writing sheet and the envelope, is deposited in the mail chute.

The envelope blank may be used with a special writing sheet with certain reference markings thereon, or it may be an ordinary writing sheet. The envelope sheet has three sections, the first section being rather shallow and the third section which can be shallow or deep. The second section forms the back of the envelope when the same is mailed and this section may be of lesser width than the third section, the latter forming shoulders which serve to lock the enclosed sheets in the mailing position. Thus, the first sheet of the enclosure will contain on its exposed face, mailing instructions, postage and cancellation date along with name and address of the recipient. This arrangement, notwithstanding the exposed face of the first section of the letterhead during travel prevents inspection of the remains of the contents from the outside.

The opposed ends of the writing sheet with the lower lateral extensions of the envelope blank in the folds of the sheet, are folded inwardly after which the wrapping action of the envelope blank is completed and the glue tabs affixed.

The writing sheet is first folded in fan-fold relation with usually two fold lines to form first, second and third sections and first and second pockets between the sections. While the writing sheet is in flat, unfolded condition, these second and third sections provide a writing area and the first section provides an area for the name and address of the receiver. This first section also forms the outer, front, postage stamp-receiving face of the assembly. The wide, third section of the envelope sheet is inserted in the first pocket and it includes a shallow first section with laterally extending glue tabs, a lower section which is received in the pocket and which is of substantially the same depth as the pocket, and an intermediate section of lesser width which is folded rcarwardly over the third writing sheet section after the opposed ends of the three writing sections and the lower envelope section have been folded rearwardly. The shallow upper section of the envelope sheet is then folded over the lower portion of the upper writing sheet section and the opposed glue tabs adhered to the rear face of the narrow envelope section.

An important object of the invention is to provide a novel two-piece correspondence form which encourages the writing of letters because of the simplicity in assembly and the structure whereby the upper edge of the writing sheet containing the name and address of the sender, the postage stamp, and the date of cancellation, and hence the mailing, is preserved by the receiver.

Among the other advantages of this arrangement are that less paper and glue are used, there is no fabrication of the envelope, the face of the first page of the letterhead is exposed during mailing so it is necessary to write the receivers name only once and the date and manner of mailing is preserved, i.e., ordinary mail, air mail. The contents cannot be examined, and the envelope part can take one or more writing sheets. The envelope can be made from a lower grade of paper, preferably colored for opacity, than ordinary envelope stock, and it is impossible to get a letter in the wrong envelope.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows the writing sheet which will bear the name and address of the addressee and the message, the sheet having a reference mark to indicate the location of the first fold line;

FlG. 2 shows the same sheet with the first fold and leaving the section with the addressees name uppermost;

FIG. 3 shows the sheet with the second fold and ready to receive the envelope sheet;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the envelope sheet;

FIG. 5 shows the folded writing sheet of FIG. 3 with the envelope sheet received in the first pocket;

FIG. 6 shows the assembled combination ready to be folded along the indicated bend lines;

FIG. 7 shows the position of the parts after the writing sheet with the envelope sheet in the pocket has been folded along said bend lines;

FIG. 8 shows the position of the parts after the envelope sheet has been folded along its first transverse fold line;

FIG. 9 shows the position of the parts when the envelope sheet has been folded along its second transverse fold line and the sealing flaps still extend laterally therefrom- FIG. 10 shows the completed envelope sealed and ready for mailing;

FIG. 11 is a section taken on line 11-11 of FIG. 10; 7 FIG. 12 is a broken view, similar to FIG. 6, but showing a slight modification in the envelope blank; and

FIG. 13 shows a further modification in the envelope blank.

FIG. 14 is a broken section showing a modification of the writing sheet.

The writing sheet 16 shown in FIG. 1 can, if desired, be a plain 8 /2 x 11 typewriting sheet or, to facilitate preparation and assembly, it may have marking 11 indicating the position of the name and address of the intended receiver, the latter being indicated at 12. This sheet also has a short reference mark 14 indicating the position of the first transverse fold line. After the address of the intended receiver has been written on the writing sheet and the message written within the area below reference mark 14, the sheet 10 may be folded along a transverse fold line 16 which coincides with reference mark 14, to form the address section 17, which is the front wall of the assembled combination form, the fold line being one-third the distance from the top 18 to the bottom 19 of the sheet. A second fold line 20 parallel with fold line 16 is now formed. No reference mark is necessary to indicate the position of fold line 2%- since it simply coincides with upper edge 18 of the sheet after fold line 16 has been formed as just mentioned. This provides a fan-fold arrangement with a pocket 22 between top section 17 and intermediate section 23, extending downwardly from the top and a pocket 24 extending upwardly from the. bottom between intermediate section 23 and lowermost section 25. If a shorter writing sheet with only a single fold line is used, the lowermost section may be omitted. This modification is shown in FIG. 14.

The envelope sheet 26 is generally rectangular and has a shallow first section 27, an adjoining or intermediate section 28 of lesser width than the shallow first section 27 and a third section 29. The first section 27 which has an upper edge 30 also has two laterally extending glue tabs 31. The third section 29 and the first section 27 have the same or substantially the same width as the width of the Writing sheet 19. The envelope sheet 26 has an outer face shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 and an opposite or inner face wherein the folding tabs 31 have adhesive indicated at 34 for a purpose to be described. The first step in assembling the writing shet-envelope combination consists in inserting the third section 29 of the unfolded envelope sheet into the first pocket 22 of the folded writing sheet. The next step consists in bending the lateral terminals 39 of the writing sheet and the third section 29 of the envelope along bend lines indicated at 36 wherein these lateral extensions are folded rearwardly from the position shown in FIG. 6. These bend lines need not be actually indicated on the sheet since they merely coincide with opposed end edges 38 of envelope section 28. When these lateral extensions 39 have been folded rearwardly, the parts are in the position of FIG. 7 and the next step consists in folding the envelope sheet along a bend line 40 which coincides with the upper edge 18 of the writing sheet. This narrow intermediate section of the envelope sheet 28 is thus folded rearwardly over the writing sheet with its opposed folded-in ends and the nowfolded assembly is shown in FIG. 8 with the first section 27 being disposed below the section 17 of the writing sheet. This first section 27 is then folded upwardly along fold line 42 and the glue tabs 31 moistened and folded rearwardly from the position of FIG. 9, thus completing the assembly. It may also be desired to apply glue in additional areas shown at 32 to eliminate a pocket which would result if edge 30 is not adhered to section 17.

The shoulders 44 formed between intermediate envelope section 28 and third section 29 has significance in the present invention since the sections 45 extending laterally beyond the narrowed portion 38 are disposed within the folds of the lateral sections 39 of the writing sheet. When the combined lateral envelope sections 45 and the lateral writing paper sections 39 are folded rearwardly as shown in FIG. 7, and the glue tabs 31 engaged, it is impossible to peak under fold line 16 of the writing sheet without tearing, and thus destroying the envelope.

In other words, in the finished combination shown in FIG. 10, ready for mailing the third envelope section 27, having the glue tabs 31, is not adhered to the uppermost writing sheet section 17, but any efiforts to raise it for the purpose of looking at writing section 23 and 25 of the writing sheet is prevented because the envelope sheet grips the writing sheet on three sides, due to the ends 39 of the writing being interleaved with the envelope sheet. Thus, when. the ends of the first section 27 are adhered it in effect locks the fourth side and effects an interlock between all four sides. While the shoulders 44 which are generally on a line with fold line 40 of the envelope blank, it actually makes little difference where the shoulders are placed since it is the lateral extension 45, interleaved in pocket 22 which actually prevents this movement.

In FIG. 12, the shoulder 44' is located further down the envelope blank than in FIG. 4 and the lateral extension 45 does not have the depth as does the extension 45 in FIG. 4 but the result is substantially the same as would also be the case if the shoulder 44 were in the location shown in FIG, 4 and the third envelope section 29 were of lesser depth.

In the modification of the writing sheet shown in FIG. is of the same width as first section 27 and third section 29'. The gummed flaps 31' are defined on their lower edges by V shaped slots 48. This envelope blank is used in substantially the same way as the envelope blank of FIG. 4 in that the third section 29 is inserted in the first pocket 23 of the folded writing sheet, and the intermediate section 28' is then folded downwardly and rearwardly over the third writing sheet section after the opposed ends of the three writing sections have also been folded rearwardly. The shallow upper section of the envelope sheet is then folded upwardly and forwardly over the lower portion of the first writing sheet section and the opposed glue tabs, which laterally extend from this first section of the envelope sheet, are folded rearwardly to adhere to the rear face of the second envelope section.

In the modification of the wirting sheet shown in FIG.

14, there is a single fold line 16' 23, the other parts 17, 18', 22' in FIG. 3.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

What I claim is: I

1. A sealed correspondence assembly including a writing sheet and an envelope sheet partially enclosing the writing sheet, the sheets having transverse fold lines dividing the same into a plurality of sections, the writing sheet having a downwardly extending pocket between its first and second sections, the envelope sheet including a shallow first section having short inwardly extending cut lines at the bottom thereof and forming laterally extending tabs with adhesive thereon, a third section which is positioned in said writing sheet pocket and is of substantially the same depth and width as the pocket, and an intermediate section which is positioned rearwardly over the back of the folded writing sheet sections, the folded writing sheet sections and the second and third envelope sections having fold lines adjacent but spaced from opposite ends thereof, the portions of said sections lying outside the fold lines positioned inward-1y and rearwardly of the folded writing sheet sections and enclosed by said intermediate envelope section, the shallow first section of the envelope sheet extending upwardly from the lower edge of the folded writing sheet sections and partially over the foremost section thereof with its adhesive tabs adhered to the rear face of the folded assembly.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the second envelope section is of lesser width than the first and third sections.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the writing sheet is provided with a third section, all of the sections being of substantially the same Width.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the first section of the envelope sheet has an adhesive area along its upper inner face for adherence to the first writing sheet section.

and hence a single pocket are similar to that shown References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1906 McDonald 229-92] 4/1907 Cooke 229-927 

1. A SEALED CORRESPONDENCE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A WRITING SHEET AND AN ENVELOPE SHEET PARTIALLY ENCLOSING THE WRITING SHEET, THE SHEETS HAVING TRANSVERSE FOLD LINES DIVIDING THE SAME INTO A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS, THE WRITING SHEET HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING POCKET BETWEEN ITS FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS, THE ENVELOPE SHEET INCLUDING A SHALLOW FIRST SECTION HAVING SHORT INWARDLY EXTENDING CUT LINES AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND FORMING LATERALLY EXTENDING TABS WITH ADHESIVE THEREON, A THIRD SECTION WHICH IS POSITIONED IN SAID WRITING SHEET POCKET AND IS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DEPTH AND WIDTH AS THE POCKET, AND AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION WHICH IS POSITIONED REARWARDLY OVER THE BACK OF THE FOLDED WRITING SHEET SECTIONS, THE FOLDED WRITING SHEET SECTIONS AND THE SECOND AND THIRD ENVELOPE SECTIONS HAVING FOLD LINES ADJACENT BUT SPACED FROM OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, THE PORTIONS OF SAID SECTIONS LYING OUTSIDE THE FOLD LINES POSITIONED INWARDLY AND REARWARDLY OF THE FOLDED WRITING SHEET SECTIONS AND ENCLOSED BY SAID INTERMEDIATE ENVELOPE SECTION, THE SHALLOW FIRST SECTION OF THE ENVELOPE SHEET EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF THE FOLDED WRITING SHEET SECTIONS AND PARTIALLY OVER THE FOREMOST SECTION THEREOF WITH ITS ADHESIVE TABS ADHERED TO THE REAR FACE OF THE FOLDED ASSEMBLY. 